Center for International Policy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Is 'Dissembling' a weapon in the fight against terror?

Wayne Smith urges "straight talk instead of evasion" on questions of Luis Posada Carriles' Presence in the United States

Washington D.C. ( May 5, 2005) - Wayne Smith, former Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana between in 1979 and 1982, issued the following statement taking issue with the remarks of Roger Noriega, Assistant Secretary of State, on the question of whether accused terrorist Luis Posada Carriles is in the United States:

"On May 2, Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega stated that he did not 'even know if he [Luis Posada Carriles] is in the United States.' Cuban claims that Posada Carriles is here, said Noriega, 'may be a completely manufactured issue'.

"Well, not quite, Mr. Noriega. On April 13, Posada Carriles' lawyer did state categorically that his client was in the U.S. and requested political asylum for him so that he can remain here. Mr. Noriega offers no explanation as to why his attorney would lie about Posada Carriles being here in the U.S.

"Let's remember with whom we are dealing; Posada Carriles, along with Orlando Bosch, was one of the masterminds of the bombing of the Cubana airliner back in 1976, resulting in the death of 73 innocent passengers, including the young Cuban fencing team. And he was involved in a series of other terrorist efforts against Cuba, such as the bombings in 1997 of a number of tourist hotels in Havana, resulting in the death of an Italian tourist and the wounding of several other innocent victims.

In his May 2 statement, Roger Noriega insists the United States 'has no interest in giving quarter to someone who has committed criminal acts'. But if that is so, then how is it that Orlando Bosch, against the strong advice of the Justice Department, was pardoned back in 1990 and then allowed by President George H.W. Bush to remain in the U.S., where he now lives a free man in Miami, though he never renounced terrorism or expressed regrets over the bombing of the Cubana airliner with the loss of innocent lives?

"And his is but one case. There are many other exile terrorists living freely in Miami. How are we to believe, Mr. Noriega, that Posada Carriles will not be allowed to join them?"

Wayne Smith has led the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy (www.ciponline.org) since 1992.